In-line roller skate braking mechanism

Abstract

A braking system for an in-line roller skate includes a lever, a brake pad and a semi-rigid shaft mounted thereon. The lever is rotatably mounted on the rear wheel axle of the skate. The brake is activated by drawing the semi-rigid shaft upward, and de-activated by driving the semi-rigid shaft downward. The semi-rigid shaft can be adjusted in height to accommodate the user prior to adding a removably attached handle. As the semi-rigid shaft is drawn upward, the brake pad engages the skating surface retarding the motion of the skater. As the semi-rigid shaft is driven downward a rotation constraint provided keeps the lever from rotating into the skating surface. This rotation constraint also allows the brake to be applied using the common in-line braking method of raising the toe and pressing down on the heel. Frictional forces on the lever are sufficient to keep the brake in its disengaged position. The braking system can easily be added to most in-line skates without permanently altering the skate. The braking system attaches to the skate only, and has no portion attached to the user. This gives the user the freedom to move hands and legs naturally while skating, with the reassurance that an easy and effective means of braking is accessible.

We claim: 
     
       1. A roller skate brake system in combination with a roller skate operated on a skating surface, the roller skate having a minimum of a front and rear wheel, each rolling wheel having a circumferential surface and being rotatably mounted to a wheel axle, the brake system comprising: (a) a single rigid lever having a longitudinal pivot axis approximately parallel to the rolling wheel axes, the pivot being rotatably connected to said skate on said rear wheel axle;   (b) a spacing means operably mounted on said rear wheel axle disposed between said lever and said skate;   (c) a rotation constraining means operably connected to said skate for constraining the rotation of said lever such that the section of said lever forward of said pivot axis rotates only above an attitude approximately parallel said skating surface;   (d) a brake pad means removably attached to said lever rearward of said pivot axis;   (e) an upwardly extending semi-rigid shaft removably attached to said lever forward of said pivot axis and;   (f) a handle means removably attached to said semi-rigid shaft for drawing said semi-rigid shaft upward causing said lever to rotate from a first position wherein said lever is approximately parallel to said skating surface and said brake pad means is above said skating surface to a second position wherein said brake pad means engages said skating surface, and for driving said semi-rigid shaft downward causing said lever to rotate from said second position to said first position.   
     
     
       2. A braking system of claim 1 wherein said brake pad means is suitable for frictionally engaging said skating surface. 
     
     
       3. A braking system of claim 1 wherein frictional forces between the interacting surfaces of said skate, said spacing means, and said lever are sufficient to hold said lever in said first position. 
     
     
       4. The braking system of claim 1 wherein said spacing means provides adequate clearance to allow said lever to freely rotate from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
       5. A roller skate brake system in combination with a roller skate operated on a skating surface, the roller skate having a minimum of a front and rear wheel, each rolling wheel having a circumferential surface and being rotatably mounted to a wheel axle, the brake system comprising: (a) a single rigid lever having a longitudinal pivot axis approximately parallel to the rolling wheel axes, the pivot being rotatably connected to said skate on a said wheel axle wherein a spacing means is disposed between said lever and said skate;   (b) a rotation constraining means for constraining the rotation of said lever such that the section of said lever forward of said pivot axis rotates only above an attitude approximately parallel said skating surface operably connected to said skate;   (c) a brake pad means suitable for frictionally engaging said skating surface removably attached to said lever rearward of said pivot axis;   (d) an upwardly extending semi-rigid shaft removably attached to said lever forward of said pivot axis and;   (e) a handle means for drawing said semi-rigid shaft upward causing said lever to rotate from a first position wherein said lever is approximately parallel to said skating surface and said brake pad means is above said skating surface to a second position wherein said brake pad means engages said skating surface, and for driving said semi-rigid shaft downward causing said lever to rotate from said second position to said first position, removably attached to said semi-rigid shaft.   
     
     
       6. A braking system of claim 5 wherein frictional forces between the interacting surfaces of said skate, said spacing means, and said lever are sufficient to hold said lever in said first position. 
     
     
       7. The braking system of claim 5 wherein said spacing means provides enough clearance to allow said lever to freely rotate from said first position to said second position.